By Zivanai Dhewa

Zimbabweans from all walks of life have rebuked leader of the MDC Alliance, Nelson Chamisa for using people to advance his political career. This follows pictures splashed on social media of him and journalist Hopewell Chin’ono who was recently released on bail, the Harare Post can report.

Speaking to this publication on condition of anonymity, the photographer expressed his dismay at how Chamisa uses the pictures from the photo-shoots to fish for political relevance.

“Remember during the cholera outbreak that took so many lives beginning of 2019, Chamisa did not contribute anything towards the alleviation of Cholera or make a donation to hospitals or individual families.  What he managed to do was to take a photo-shoot holding a child patient at Harare Central Hospital.

“When Cyclone Idai ravaged part of Manicaland in Chimanimani, he went there and took photos sitting on a donkey cart for his photo library, he became a tourist in a disaster situtation, he never contributed or mobilised well-wishers to assist,” said the photographer.

One Political analyst described the MDCA as a party divorced from the people and the issues on the ground.

“The MDCA and its leader are living a different life from the one we are living, their pockets are well oiled, all they have to do is to give justification by means of these photographs for their next pay cheque and it comes.

“Recently the world is suffering a pandemic and countries across the globe are battling to equip their hospitals with equipment and also PPEs for their frontline workers.  This is an opportunity for the MDC A to pool resources from their handlers and support the people. Instead Chamisa only visits Wilkins Hospital for a photo-shoot, long after Government and its Chinese partners have made improvements and turned that hospital into a Covid 19 Centre ,” he added

Another media practitioner expressed disgust at how Chamisa has used journalists when it suits him. 

“Daddyhope was in prison for so long and Chamisa did not even visit him, he too grand for prison visits, he did not even appear during his court sessions, and now he pretends to care just because he wants to have a photo-shoot with him to boost his political career and to add to his library.

“Where was he when Chin’ono was being used by Beatrice Mthethwa to boost her career profile instead of representing him?  Chamisa was watching from the side-lines, now he rushes for a photo-shoot, how despicable,” she said.

Hopewell Chin’ono was arrested and stayed in remand, following his social media participation in which he was inciting people to rise and overthrow a constitutionally elected government.